Auburn Briefing: Three players that need a big day against Cal

Auburn's first true test of the Hugh Freeze era is a road trip to Cal.

While Auburn is close to a touchdown favorite, they've become a trendy upset pick this week as we inch closer to the action.

Cal's running game has become a story. That paired with concerns about Auburn's rush defense has several pundits, fans, and experts concerned about Auburn's chances during their trip out west. Here are three Auburn Tigers that need a big game on Saturday.

Eugene Asante

Eugene Asante was the bright spot in Auburn's linebacker room against UMass. He already deserved more snaps but after the news that Austin Keys will miss time due to an injury, it makes it a no-brainer that he will need to be a huge part of what Auburn does on defense against Cal's rushing attack.

Keldric Faulk

We didn't see enough of Feldric Faulk in his collegiate debut last weekend. He will be asked to set the edge at times this weekend as we assume he will get more than the 13 snaps he played a week ago.

Jayson Jones and Justin Rogers

Yes. I cheated and put an extra name. Both Jayson Jones and Justin Rogers should be able to win at the point of attack against Cal's interior offensive line and help the linebackers secure tackles by keeping blockers from moving to the next level.

We wrote it

We spoke with Cal expert Jeff Faraudo of the Cal Sports Report. We asked him how Cal would prepare for an SEC team as opposed to other games. He said:

Cal will view this game as it does any other. With all due respect to the SEC, clearly the best conference in the country, the Bears have actually won their past three meetings against SEC opponents. They beat Ole Miss at home in 2017 and on the road in 2019 and knocked off No. 15 Tennessee in 2007. Cal certainly won’t be overconfident after routing North Texas 58-21 but the Bears won’t be intimidated, either.

They said it

It became a pretty big headline earlier in the week when Cal running back Jadyn Ott talked about Auburn.

“There’s a lot of focus on the name Auburn," Ott said. "But what I see on film is not really in comparison to what their name is. I just want to get that into my guys’ heads that a name doesn’t mean anything.”

We wrote it

They said it

Engage with Auburn Daily on Socials!